PLO office in Washington to remain open

The US State Department announced on Friday that the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) office in Washington D.C. will remain open “in order to hold peace talks with Israel,” adding that “full operations will likely resume after 90 days,” according to AFP.

The update comes just one week after US President Trump’s administration stated its intention to “temporarily” close the PLO office if Palestine decided to take Israel to the International Criminal Court. At the time, Palestine threatened to cut all ties with the US had they gone ahead and shut down their office.

A senior State Department spokesman, who spoke with AFP on condition of anonymity, said on Friday that the PLO delegation was advised "to limit its activities to those related to achieving a lasting, comprehensive peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," reported DW.

"Given the lapse last week of a waiver of statutory restrictions on PLO activity in the United States, we have advised the PLO Office to limit its activities to those related to achieving a lasting, comprehensive peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," the official said.

The office may resume its normal work, if, after 90 days, Trump is satisfied that the PLO office is engaged in "direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel," the official added.

A waiver is signed by the State Department every six months, which allows the PLO office to remain open in Washington.

An article passed by the US Congress in 2015 bans the American government from allowing Palestinian representatives in Washington from investigating Israel in the International Criminal Court.

In July, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called upon the International Criminal Court to investigate Israeli attacks on Palestinians, and Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The US considered this request as a violation of the 2015 law.